Latching and closing means for railway car hopper doors



5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. I

ge Dani/J,

G. B. DOREY LATCHING AND CLOSING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER DOORS 1+ I II I I II II I I Sept. 8. 1953 Filed Dec. 23, 1949 t. 8. 1953 G. B. DOREY 2,651,266

LATCHING AND CLOSING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER DOORS Filed Dec. 25, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 g) [g g 634/1 L M/E INVENTOR. Gauge 5 flares/y,

Sept. 8. 1953 ,e. B. DOREY 2,651,266

LATCHING AND CLOSING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER DOORS Filed Dee. 25, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Sept. 8, 1953 e. B. DOREY 2,651,266

LATCHING AND CLOSING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER DOORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 23, 1949 INVENTOR.

p 8. 1953 G. B. DQREY 2,651,266

LATCHING AND CLOSING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER DOORS Filed Dec. 23, 1949' 5 Shees '$h'eet 5 @QQQ? Q I "By Patented Sept. 8, 1953 LATCHING AND CLOSING MEANS FOR RAILWAY CAR HOPPER DOORS George B. Dorey, Westmount,

Quebec, Canada,

assignor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 23, 1949, Serial No. 134,630 3 Claims. (01. 105-308) This invention relates to improved latching means for the doors of railway hopper cars for moving the doors from preliminary partly closed to fully closed position by movement of latching means which are also operable for retaining the doors in fully closed position.

The invention is more especially adapted for use with a pivotally suspended door arranged to meet in closed position with a sloping floor and form therewith a V-shaped hopper. In such construction it has been proposed to employ a plunger type of latch carried by the door and arranged normally to project beyond the swinging edge of the latter for engagement with a keeper carried by the sloping floor of the hopper. The operation of such devices in the past has necessitated the use of cumbersome keepers with forwardly and downwardly inclined projecting runways for displacing the plunger latch from its projected position as the door is moved to closed position, thereby restricting the use of conveyors beneath the hopper for the rapid and economical handling of lading.

In the type of car with which my invention is primarily concerned it is important that the V-shaped hoppers be placed at a low level in the car body in order to maintain a low center of gravity and also provide for maximum carrying capacity. To this end the apices of the hoppers are located in close proximity to the rails and ity is therefore necessary that the latch parts which are normally positioned below the hopper be either of such proportions as to infringe upon the clearance limits or on the other hand be of such small proportions as to impair the efiiciency andsecurity of the latching means.

'The object of this invention, among others, is the attainment of a construction which will overcome the deficiencies above set forth and to this end there is provided an improved plunger type of latch and cooperating shouldered keeper with means extraneous to said keeper for retracting the latch by movement of the door. Other objects are: To provide an improved construction for supporting the door in closed position at' lo-v cations adjacent the swinging edge of the door and also adjacent a side edge thereof; to provide a latching means which will retain the door in partly closed position and move the same to fully closed position by further operation of the latchp,

ing means; and to provide for safety and convenience in the operation of the latching means. For a more complete understanding of the nature and scopeofthis invention reference may be. had to. the following. description t'aken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of the door of a hopper for a hopper type car in which the present invention is embodied, the door being shown in pendant open position facing the opening with the hopper being shown between the center sill and side wall of a conventional type of railway car;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the door and hopper and on'a line corresponding substantially to a line .2-2 of Figure 1; v

Figure 3 is a fractional elevational view looking in the direction of the arrows on line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing so much of the hopper as necessary to show in elevation the carried by the sloping floor;

Figurel is a frontal elevational view of a door and frame assembly, the view being shown with the door in closed and latched position;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken generally along the line 55 of Figure 4; V

Figure 6 is a fractional viewof the door and frame assembly shownin Figure 4 but showing the latch bar as positioned entering the zone of the main shoulder in its transition along the wedging incline to the main shoulder;

Figure 7 is a view similar to that shown in Figure 5 except that the door is shown in preliminary held position with the latch bar engaging the secondary shoulder;

Figure 8 is a top plan view of the latching bar;

Figure 9 is a view, in front elevation, of the latching bar shown in Figure 8; I

Figure'lO is a top plan view of the door beam member;

Figure 11 is a view, in front elevation, of the door beam member shown in Figure 10; and

Figures 12 and 13 are end elevation views of the door beam member shown in Figure 11.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2, the invention is shown as applied to a so-called W type of hopper and to a door on one side of the center sill. The reference character l0 designates a latch keeper :center sill of a conventional railway car having slopes downwardly to an opening l1. Surrounding the opening I! is a frame that is indicated generally at l8. It comprises a lower portion I9 which overlies the respective side walls I3" and M and a transversely extending portion 20 which underlies the sloping floor 16. Said lower portion I9 is preferably of angle shape having an outstanding wall 21. The upper part of the frame includes a top beam member 22 from which hinge butts 23 project.

The hinge butts 23 carry hinge pins 24 which support hinge straps 25 at their upper ends. The hinge straps 25 are secured by rivets 26 to the door which is indicated, generally, at 21. The door 21 is preferably of trapezoidal .form and :of pan shape and it has a flange 28 around its edge which fits over and encloses the four sides of the frame IB so as to provide a tightlyfitting joint therebetween.

The door 2'! is of the type which is adapted to be swung r lifted to closed'position-andiatching means ar employed to retain it in closed position. The latching means of my invention includes a latching bar 29, Figures 8 and 9, pivotally mounted at 33 on 'a door beam member "which is indicated, generally, at 3| and shown in detail in Figures 10, 1'1, 12 and 13. Extending in opposite directions "from the pivot '33 to the latch bar are arms 32 and 33, the arm 32 extending laterally outwardly beyond the inner side edge of the door 21 to engage with a shouldered keeper 34, Figure 2.

The shouldered keeper 34 is of angular form with a body portion 34a extending lengthwise parallel with the inner side wall l3 of the hopper l2 and a flange 3513 which overlies the outstanding wall 2 I, of the frame IS. The wall 2! is coped out as indicated at 350, Figure l, for the accommodation of the body portion 34a and the respective parts are welded together as indicated at 34d, Figure 4, to form an integrated structure.

The opposite arm 33 extends towardsthe outer side edge of the door 21 and adjacent its outer end is provided with an outwardly projecting head portion 35. Intermediate the pivot 30 and the head 35 and preferably adjacent the latter there is provided a downwardly extending plunger 36 which extends towards and beyond the swinging edge of the door '21 for cooperation with a shouldered keeper 3I,'Figure 3. The shouldered keeper 3! includes a base portion secured to the lower edge of th floor t and the transversely extending portion of the frame 18 by rivets 38 'and 39 and is formed with a hollow socket-like aperture '40 for receiving the'latch plunger 36.

The keeper 3'! is located inwardly or the midsection of the opening 1'! o-f'thehopper l2 and in such proximity to the-outer sidewall M as to deriv support therefrom.

The pivot 30 of the latching bar'2' 9 is disposed on the door 2'! to provide the arm 33 to be of greater length than the opposite arm 32 andsuch additional length combined with the additional weight provided by the head 35 and the plunger 36 operates "to maintain the respective latching portions of the bar 23in latching position, as shown in Figure 1, when the door 21 is in the open position.

The latching bar 2-9 is displaced from its normal latching position shown in Figure 4- during the door closing operation by the short arm 32 contacting and riding on an inclined runway :surface 4|, Figure 5, formed on the underside of keeper 3d. The keeper 34 is provided with a secondary shoulder or ledge 42, Figure 7, which is disposed in advance of and to the rear of a main shoulder 43 and connected therewith :by an inclined wedging surface 44 whereby as the door 2! is moved to closed position, the arm 32cmgases with the secondary shoulder 32 and thereby is retained in partly closed position. The door 21 is wedged from partly closed to fully closed position by movement of the bar 32 as it rides in contact with and along the wedging Surface M.

The inner edge of the door is brought to a completexstate of closure by contact between the arm 32 and the main shouldered part 43 of the keeper 34 before contact is effected between the plunger 36 and the shoulder 45 of the keeper 37. The plunger 36 is formed with a triangular shaped wedge portion I35, Figure 9, which operates as an entering wedge to the keeper 31 to 'forcethe swinging edgeof the door 21 tightly closed. Inasmuch as the door closing operation is'efl'ected from alocation adjacent the outer side of the-door 21, there is a tendency for the inner side to lag slightly and consequently it is advantageous to force the inner side of the door 21 to fully closed position independently of the outer :side.

The lengths of the respective arms '32 and 33 :are so proportioned and the keepers 34 .and 3-! so related thereto as to permit the'short arm :32 to move :the inner end of the door to fully closed position with the latching bar 23 entering the "final latching zone is illustrated in-Figure 6 "before contact is established between the plunger 36 and its associated keeper '31. In this manner ,::lthe. door His moved TfiGIX-l "partly closed to fully closed position by a downward pull thereon which, being exerted outwardly of the hinge axis of the door 21, has the effect of exerting a turni-ng movement to swing it to closed position. This condition is well illustrated .in Figure '7 wherein the length of the turning moment arm is indicatedat 46.

The latching bar 23 preferably is retained in latched position in the conventional manner by a pivotallymounted earn '4! which is adapted to be swung into the path ofmovement'of the latching bar 29 as shown in Figure l.

The door beam 3! which forms the support for the latching bar 29 and cam M is preferably of angle shaped formation with one wall 48, Figure 2, secured to the body of thedoor fl and the adjacent wall 43 outstanding at right angles therefrom. The beam 3! is provided with an upstanding wall 50 which in combination with the wall-48 constitutes a pair of walls between which the latching bar .29 is mounted and which support the pivot 30 thereof. The beam 3! is down- .wardly directed as indicated at 5!, Fig-ure-1l,towards the inneredge of the door 21 in order to provide clearance for the latching arm 29 as .it is swung downwardly to released position. The wall 48 is extended beyond the inner edge of the door 21 towards the keeper 3d, as indicated at 52, to support the overhanging portion of the latch arm 32. Adjacent the inner edge of the door 2'! there is provided on the beam 3! a guiding wall 53,-Figures 11 and 13, which leads upwardlyfrom the outer edge of the wall 49 to'overlie the arm 32 .and above the arm 32 it is integrally united with the rear wall 48 by means of an integrally formed connecting wall 54. The latch arm 32 is thus braced and guided throughout its range of swinging movement. Similarly the outer end of the arm 33 is guided between spaced inner and outer walls and 56, Figure 12, extending upwardly from the beam 3 I. The walls 55 and 56 also support the cam ll and guide the same.

An aperture 51, Figure 12, is provided in "the we-11 4.9 of the beam 3l for the accommodation of the plunger .36 of thedatching bar 29. Formed iategmuy with the wan a'esraee 49 and surrounding the aperture 51 there'is a reinforcement 58. The reinforcement adjacent the body of the door 21 isextended downwardly as at 59 as far as the lower margin of the body of the door 21 in order to provide bracing and supporting backing for the plunger 36 of the latching bar 29.

The extreme outer end of wall 49 is provided with a foot rest in the form of a serrated surface 60, Figures 1 and 11, for the purpose of forming a purchase for an operators foot when the door 21 is pedalled to closed position.

Fulcrums, asindicated atBl and 62 in Figure 11, are provided to form rests for a removable operating bar 63, shown by broken lines in Figure 1, whereby in cooperation with the operating head 35 of the latching bar 29, the latter may be either forced home to latching position or moved to released position. The fulcrum 6| is in the form of an outward extension of the wall 49 on which the removable bar 63 is positioned as indicated in Figure 1.

In operation, assuming the door 2! to be in open pendant position as indicated in Figure 2, the operator places a foot on the serrated rest 60 and rocks the door 21 to and fro until it swings to closed position while the latch arm 32 is displaced by contact with inclined surface 4! of the keeper 34, whereupon it engages with the secondary shoulder 42 and the door 21 is retained in partly closed position as shown in Figure 7. The operator then bears down on the outer end of arm 33 causing the arm 32 to move along the inclined wedging surface 44 until such time as the arm 32 contacts the main shoulder 43 of the keeper 34 after which continued movement of the arm 33 forces the plunger 36 into the aperture 40 and thus into cooperating engagement with its associated keeper 31. The door 21 is then fully closed and latched. Thereafter the cam 41 is swung to secure the latching bar 29 against unlatching movement.

As will be noted by reference to Figure 2, the keeper 3'! is situated Well above the rail line as indicated at 61 thereby providing ample room for sidewise withdrawal of lading from beneath the opening I! by the conventional conveyor method. It will also be noted that the plunger 33 of the latching bar 29 extends only a slight amount into the clearance limits of the door 21. In order to permit of the placement of the plunger 36 in a favorable position relatively to the swinging edge of the door 21, a certain portion of it is coped and indented as indicated at 68, Figure 1, for the purpose of straddling the keeper 3! when the door 21 is in closed position.

Since certain changes can be made in the foregoing construction and different embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is intended that all matter shown in the accompanying drawings and described hereinbefore shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. Latch means for a door for closing the discharge opening of a railway car or the like where the door is hinged along its upper edge comprising, in combination, a latch bar pivotally mounted intermediate its ends along the swinging edge of said door thereby providing a pair of oppositely extending arms of different lengths the shorter of which extends beyond one side of said door while the longer extends toward but not beyond the other side of said door and has a de- 6 pending portion spaced from the pivot axis of said latch bar and in latching position projecting beyond the swinging edge of said door, .an apertured keeper on said caralong the lower edge of said door for cooperating with said depending portion by endwise downward movement thereof through the aperture to hold said door closed, a downwardly directed keeper on said car along said one side of said door for cooperating with said shorter arm by sidewise upward movement thereof to holdsaid door closed, and an inclined runway portion on said downwardly directed keeper for engaging said shorter arm during closing movement of said door to swing said latch bar and said depending portion carried thereby clear of said apertured keeper and into a position where, on further movement of said door, said depending portion is movable into said aperture.

2. Latch means for a door for closing the discharge opening of a railway car or the like where the door is hinged along its upper edge comprising, in combination, a latch bar pivotally mounted intermediate its ends along the swinging edge of said door thereby providing a pair of oppositely extending arms of different lengths the shorter of which extends beyond one side of said door while the longer extends toward but not beyond the other side of said door and has a depending portion spaced from the pivot axis of said latch bar and in latching position projecting beyond the swinging edge of said door, a keeper on said car along the lower edge of said door for cooperating with said depending portion by endwise movement thereof to hold said door closed, and a shouldered keeper on said car along said one side of said door for cooperating with said shorter arm by sidewise movement thereof to hold said door closed, said shouldered keeper having a main shoulder for engagement by said shorter arm to hold said door fully closed and a secondary shoulder spaced from said main shoulder for engagement by said shorter arm to hold said door partly closed and a wedging incline connecting said shoulders whereby movement of said door from partly to fully closed position is efiected by movement of said shorter arm, the transition of said shorter arm from said secondary shoulder to said main shoulder being effected before said depending portion of said latch bar engages its keeper.

3. Latch means for a door for closing the discharge opening of a railway car or the like where the door is hinged along its upper edge comprising, in combination, a latch bar pivotally mounted intermediate its ends along the swinging edge of said door thereby providing a pair of oppositely extending arms of diiferent lengths the shorter of which extends beyond one side of said door while the longer extends toward but not beyond the other side of said door and has a depending portion spaced from the pivot axis of said latch bar and in latching position projecting beyond the swinging edge of said door, an apertured keeper on said car along the lower edge of said door for cooperating with said depending portion by endwise downward movement thereof through the aperture to hold said door closed, a downwardly directed keeper on said car along said one side of said door for cooperating with said shorter armby sidewise upward movement thereof to hold said door closed, and an inclined runway portion on said downwardly directed keeper for engaging said shorter arm during closing movement of said door to swing -saidi1atch .bar and said depending portion carried thereby clear of said apertured keeper and into a position where, on further movement of said door, said depending portion is movable into said aperture; said downwardly directed keeper having a main shoulder for engagement by said shorter arm to hold said door fully closed, a secondary shoulder spaced from said main shoulder for engagement by said shorter arm to hold .said door partly closed, and a wedging incline connecting said shoulders whereby movement of said door from partly to fully closed position is effected by movement of said shorter arm, the transition of said shorter arm from said secondary shoulder to said main shoulder being efiected before saiddepending portion of said latch bar engages its keeper.

GEQRGE 1B. 'DOREY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

